Windows 7 Support Ends Today

Today is the last day Microsoft plans to provide security updates and bug fixes for its 10+ year old Windows 7. It's seems a bit crazy, but Windows 7 is a product of 2009. That Microsoft has supported it this long is pretty impressive, especially in this day and age where most smartphones are lucky to see two years of support.

The ending of Windows 7 support is actually a pretty serious issue for home and business users alike. Windows is one of the most prolific pieces of software on the planet, and, since it runs your computer, one of the most powerful. That means it is one of the most highly targeted by virus writers and hackers. With the rise of remote support scams, where someone calls you pretending to be from "Microsoft" only to steal your files or install a virus on your computer, and with the increasing prevalence of ransomware locking down everything from hospitals to entire cities, it's more important than ever to be as up to date as possible.

Fortunately, it's not too late to upgrade your PC to Microsoft's latest version of Windows, Windows 10. For the last year or more, Microsoft had been offering free upgrades to almost everyone, but even now there can still be options to upgrade at a reduced price or even free depending on a number of factors. To keep you secure as possible, give us a call today and we can help you find the most cost effective way to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10.


Tyler, TX Businesses Are Being Hit With Devastating Ransomware

This is a Public Service Announcement from ETV Software

We have been receiving a record-number of ransomware inquiries from local businesses around the East Texas area.

The attacks have the potential to shutdown businesses for days or even destroy a business altogether.

Ransomware spreads through email attachments and bad software downloads like a normal virus, but unlike a regular virus that just tries to spy on you or delete your files, ransomware locks you out of all your files using a complex password that only the hackers have.

Ransomware is also increasingly locking companies out of their local backups which makes recovering from an attack much more difficult.

The more sophisticated ransomware viruses are even getting clever about when they attack businesses.

Instead of triggering immediately once they get on one of your computers, they will spread silently to all the computers in your business and then only start locking down files at the end of the workweek so they have time to lock everything down over the weekend.

Worse, while many viruses are created by hackers just to see what damage they can do, ransomware has become a business in itself.

Once your files are encrypted by an unguessable password, the hackers will pop up a intimidating screen demanding payment to get your files back.

They usually want to be paid in Bitcoin, the online-only digital currency, and the ransom demand for files usually starts around $10,000. For large organizations like hospitals, that asking price sometimes extends into the millions of dollars.

There are some things you can do to help protect your company from ransomware attacks:

Step 1.

Have a comprehensive on-site and off-site backup plan. The quickest and most cost effective way to deal with ransomware is to have the luxury of being able to restore your files yourself instead of paying the hackers thousands of dollars to do so.

This requires your company to keep daily backups that are stored where the ransomware can’t reach them.

Step 2.

Have quality anti-virus software running on all your computers. At the end of the day, ransomware are just scarier, more damaging form of the viruses that have targeted computer users for decades.

Even the best anti-virus program won’t catch everything, which is why backups are still important, but they will help make sure your business can fend off most ransomware attacks before they even start.

Conclusion

Be careful about opening email attachments from unknown sources.
Always use strong passwords and use a standalone password manager instead of storing passwords in your browser.


5 Ways To Boost Your Business Network And Help Your Business Succeed

Startup or established business?

No matter, your business can always improve its tech performance. Granted, it can occasionally be a pricey endeavor but it doesn’t always have to be. There are tweaks that you can do yourself before calling a professional.

1. Check your website speed.

There are free ways to check your connection speed to the internet to make sure your business is getting what it’s paying for. We recommend going to the website: https://fast.com. You will need to call your Internet Service Provider and let them know what your ISP speed you’re paying for vs. how much you are getting. You will have more room for negotiation and will be able to sometimes even get a discount at a higher speed. Your results may vary.

2. Utilize a VoIP phone system and install Slack.

Quality communication is key to any sized business. And oftentimes, miscommunication can lead to negative results for your clients and for your business. VoIP phone systems can be sometimes complicated to install, however, this process can be easily accomplished by any IT Service company like ETV Software. If your business is small enough, using Slack (a free internal communication tool similar to Spark or AOL Instant Messenger) allows for quick, snappy, communication when there are issues that need to be addressed immediately. You may also send files back and forth to the necessary people.

3. Clear your cache.

This tip applies to phones and desktop computers and is an often overlooked portion for speeding up your computer. Clear your cache by going to your browser of preference. After doing so, click on its name in the upper left-hand corner. From here you will get a drop-down and will click “Preferences”. Next, you will find “Managed Website Data” within said view. (Note: You may need to click through each individual browser section labeled “Privacy” or “Security” to find this information.) You will need to make sure to remember all passwords or store them in your browser before clearing all data, but you will then click the button “Remove” or “Remove All”. This should speed up the computer. If this still fails, bring it to a professional computer shop like Computer Repair In Tyler as you may have viruses or malware on your computer.

4. Rid of any unnecessary add-ons in your browser.

Search toolbars and browser extensions can slow down your browser immensely and reduce efficient computer use. It’s important to remove those that you are not using. Some have been known to act like viruses and attempt to steal your passwords so it’s important to knock out two birds with one stone as security and efficiency are both incredibly important for businesses of any size.

5. Install a malware anti-virus software.

If you’re running a PC, it’s almost a fundamental rule to choose an anti-virus software so you can browse the internet at will. We recommend AVG and AVAST for such purposes, but it’s important that you research the best one within your budget.

In summary, there are a few options before calling a professional to make sure your issues are taken care of beforehand. But, in the event that your business needs any assistance, it’s never a bad idea to consult with an IT Services firm. Your business is not something to gamble with. If any of these solutions doesn’t immediately help, call us at 903-531-0377. We also provide remote assistance so if you’re not in our area, we would still be happy to help you out!


How To Get Your Business On The Right Track

Finding it hard to focus on getting your business on the right track? We have the steps you can take to get things moving forward.

When you're the owner or even the leader of a business, it can be very stressful to try and keep everything in order while at the same time making sure everything is moving in the right direction. The pressure to be successful can take its toll on anyone, so we have compiled ways in which you can take hold of your business and get things moving. It's extremely important to have goals for your company, but what happens when your goals are too extreme or unrealistic? Try setting more attainable goals for your business, this will ensure that your mission is digestible and less scary for employees, and will help to get the ball rolling more easily. This step is even more important when first starting your business because your daily routine will be changing and it is harder to manage daily tasks.

Perhaps an even more important task that business owners should make a priority is growing and accumulating a community. This community can involve groups, investors, partners, and most importantly passionate customers. Each one of these community members will help to pave the way for the advancement of your business, and the good part is that each business can select the right community members for them depending upon their unique set of needs. And finally, making sure that you surround yourself with supportive family friends and community groups that will understand your need to stay focused on your business.

If you're starting a business for the first time this step could be the most important. Giving yourself the freedom to blur the line between personal and professional work-life balance could greatly benefit your company in the early stages. If you have your own business, it's probably a good bet that you are already excellent at these three points. That being said, it can only benefit your company to remind yourself that it's okay to not be a perfectionist. Remind yourself that not everything has to be perfect in order to begin or move forward with your business.

 

 


Malware And Its Impact On Your Business

Malware is a tiny risk with a giant impact on small businesses...

One thing that is sure to put your business on halt is being attacked on a technological level. Our businesses today rely more and more on the internet to survive and flourish. If you lose your data, your inventory, your customer information, this could be a turning point for your company, but not in a good way. This is a never-ending threat because just like our useful technology, the tactics of criminals continue to gain sophistication. More and more organizations are becoming a target; from small and new companies to the federal government. No one is immune to losing their data, money and even reputation on the internet today. It's not a matter of IF it's going to happen, its WHEN, and more importantly how you handle that situation if you let your companies data become susceptible to threats. Not only are small businesses at risk, but larger businesses often become a target. Interestingly enough, some of the top targets for cyber attacks are financial services, information and communications technology, manufacturing, retail, and professional services. According to the 2018 IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index, a data breach in 2017 ended up costing the businesses affected an average of $3.7 million.

Other organizations that are often affected by malware are state capitals and local governments. The fact of the matter is that cybercrime is everywhere. This may all be a daunting realization if you are a new business, or even an older business just now beginning to take the step to better security. If you ever need assistance in improving your security or getting rid of an attack that has already happened. give us a call or check out our website for more information!

https://www.etvsoftware.com/data-and-network-security/


Want To Encourage More Great Ideas In Your Workplace?

Here are some valuable strategies for organizational leaders who want to encourage creativity and diversity in the workplace.

One of the most important things every leader should always be doing in their business is to keep asking questions. Never forget to ask questions to yourself as well as your team members. Asking questions can help focus attention to important goals and milestones. It also allows for more meaningful input from everyone in the team; leaving no one excluded! Another thing that would benefit a leader is to keep in mind that it’s okay to have a little room for errors. If there is no space allowed to make errors, important things can get pushed to the side or neglected and only realized when it's too late.

Constructive conflict is another surprising thing in the workplace that can be beneficial. As long as the conflict is being used in a proactive way it can be used to establish a business rationale. Business leaders can do this by letting team members know that even if they disagree, their input is valuable. This relates also to having an open door policy in the workplace. If a leader admits consistently that they are not omnipotent and do not have the whole story at all times; this can only be beneficial in the workplace. Having open conversations with team members expressing your interest in hearing their side can cause creativity and new ideas to form in the workplace.

And finally, keep in mind to never disregard or dismiss ideas that come from members of the team. It is true that internal ideas can seem threatening at first. Leaders do not want to admit that an idea of a subordinate may have bee better than theirs. This is a mistake many leaders make; it can cause you to miss out on great ideas that would be perfect for the organization as a whole.

All in all, it's up to a leader to direct the team and the organization to reach milestones and knock down walls. Never forget that being compassionate and powerful do not have to be mutually exclusive.

Learn more here


Need a way to grow your business and streamline your process?

It's a great time to have your own business. Each year reveals an ever-growing plethora of applications and technologies designed specifically for new or small businesses. Here are three apps that can help!

Ever find yourself getting lost or distracted on your current go-to social media platform when trying to share moments with friends or colleagues? If so, the Capsure app will be perfect for you. It's an ad-free app that allows users to selectively organize their memories, ideas, and conversations.

An entrepreneur favorite is Google Keep. This app allows you to record, edit, share and even collaborate on any device at all times. With this app, teams will find it much easier to break down ideas and create action plans.

Our last app is Mixmax; if your business is always scheduling meetings this app is what you need. This is an email too that allows for quick scheduling at the click of a button. It also allows for easier follow-up decisions by showing you when the message was read.

These apps are all free with an optional upgrade!

Find out more about these apps here